BATTERY TESTING CHAMBERS

- Maximize Lithium-Ion Potential

Helping Support the Batteries of the Future

Lithium-ion batteries are widely used in handheld electronic devices, laptop computers, tablets, and smartphones, as well as in critical safety and military items and medical devices. Lithium-ion batteries are essential to the growing hybrid/electric vehicle market, where lifespan and safety are key issues. Lithium-ion batteries are particularly sensitive to high temperatures and to moisture or high humidity so stringent environmental testing is essential during all phases of R&D and production. AES specializes in the design, engineering, manufacture, and support of environmental test chambers that test batteries in low/high temperature and humidity ranges.

Test chambers to facilitate your battery tests

As the world becomes ever more mobile and focused on green technology, batteries are becoming more and more important. With that importance comes the need to test batteries to ensure the best performance possible for the consumer. There are a variety of standards that apply to testing batteries in environmental test chambers to ensure that all batteries meet the requirements for performance and safety. By exposing batteries to certain environmental conditions within a test chamber, manufacturers are able to find faults in their product before they are released to the public.

Associated Environmental Systems’ test chambers may be equipped to meet the requirements for the safe testing of batteries. Our chamber features are as follows:

A fire suppression system is added to the test chamber to put out a fire inside the test chamber should the battery become ignited.

A burst disk/pressure relief vent is added to the test chamber to protect the test chamber from a sudden release of gas at a high pressure.

A clean air exchange is added to the system to clean out any gasses before the door is opened that may have been emitted by the battery cells during the test.

The test chamber is structurally reinforced to handle any possible explosions of the battery that may occur during testing.

A reinforced floor is added to the test chamber to accommodate the increased weight in the chamber from the battery cells.

Controlled nichrome wire heaters: the heaters are limited to prevent going over the ignition temperatures of gases that may be leaked during testing.

It is important to keep in mind battery testing standards which exist to ensure that the product meets certain performance requirements. Environmental tests of batteries include but are not limited to: heating, temperature cycling, altitude, and humidity.

Some battery standards are as follows:

IEC 62660-2: This standard specifies test procedures in order to observe the reliability and abuse behaviour of secondary lithium-ion cells used for propulsion of electric vehicles including battery electric vehicles (BEV) and hybrid electric vehicles (HEV).

SAE J2464: This standard outlines the testing of electric or hybrid electric vehicle batteries to determine the response of such batteries to conditions or events which are beyond their normal operating range.

IEC 60086-4: This standard provides tests and requirements for primary lithium batteries to ensure their safe operation under intended use and reasonably foreseeable misuse.

UL 1642: This standard provides information on primary (nonrechargeable) and secondary (rechargeable) lithium batteries for use as power sources in products. These batteries contain metallic lithium, or a lithium alloy, or a lithium ion, and may consist of a single electrochemical cell or two or more cells connected in series, parallel, or both, that convert chemical energy into electrical energy by an irreversible or reversible chemical reaction.

IEC 61960: This standard specifies performance tests, designations, markings, dimensions and other requirements for secondary lithium single cells and batteries for portable applications.

IEC 62133: This standard specifies requirements and tests for the safe operation of portable sealed secondary cells and batteries (other than button) containing alkaline or other non-acid electrolyte, under intended use and reasonably foreseeable misuse.

UL 2054: This standard outlines requirements that cover portable primary (nonrechargeable) and secondary (rechargeable) batteries for use as power sources in products. These batteries consist of either a single electrochemical cell or two or more cells connected in series, parallel, or both, that convert chemical energy into electrical energy by chemical reaction.

IEEE 1625: This standard guides manufacturers/suppliers in planning and implementing the controls for the design and manufacture of lithium-ion (Li-ion) and lithium-ion polymer (Li-ion polymer) rechargeable battery packs used for multi-cell mobile computing devices.

IEEE 1725: This standard offers the criteria for design analysis for qualification, quality, and reliability of rechargeable lithium ion and lithium ion polymer batteries for cellular telephone applications are established.

RTCA DO-347: This standard provides test guidance and installation considerations for Small and Medium Sized Rechargeable Lithium Batteries and Battery systems that are permanently installed on an aircraft.